Kansas City, Mo.
Mayor: Sylvester "Sly" James, Jr. (to 2015) City Manager: Troy Schulte (apptd. November 2009) 2010 census population (rank): 459,787 (37); Male: 2223,183 (48.5%); Female: 236,604 (51.5%); White: 272,305 (59.2%); Black: 137,540 (29.9%); American Indian and Alaska Native: 2,331 (0.5%); Asian: 11,399 (2.5%); Other race: 20,770 (3.2%); Two or more races: 14,581 (2.7%); Hispanic/Latino: 45,953 (10.0%). 2010 population 18 and over: 348,729; 65 and over: 50,706 (11.0%); Median age: 34.0. 2013 population estimate (rank): 467,007 (37) Land area: 314 sq mi. (813 sq km); Alt.: Highest, 1,014 ft.; lowest, 722 ft. Avg. daily temp.: Jan., 25.7° F; July, 78.5° F Churches: 1,100 churches of all denominations;1 City-owned parks and playgrounds: 211 (9,685 ac.); Radio stations1: AM, 14; FM, 19; Television stations1: 7 Civilian Labor Force 2013: 71,938; Unemployed (2013): 7.0%; Per capita personal income 2013: $17,877 Chamber of Commerce: Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, 911 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64105 1. Metropolitan area. 2. Kansas City, Mo.–Kans. |
Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri. It is located in the western part of the state, at the junction of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. Kansas City is located in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties.
In 1821, the year Missouri entered the Union, French trader François Chouteau came from St. Louis to establish a trading post on the site of the present city to take advantage of the growing fur trade with the Kansa, Osage, Wyandotte, and other tribes. In 1833, a settlement called Westport Landing was laid out by John Calvin McCoy and developed. The community became the Town of Kansas and was incorporated as a city in 1850 and renamed Kansas City in 1889. The city's name reflects its Native American heritage—its site was within the territory of the Kansa, or Kaw, Indians.
The city grew rapidly in the mid-1880s as the starting point for gold prospectors and settlers heading westward. The coming of the Missouri-Pacific Railroad in 1865 and the spanning of the Missouri River by the Hannibal Bridge in 1869 also contributed to the city's growth. It also prospered as a center for the nation's cattle business.
The Kansas City metropolitan area, once known primarily for agriculture and manufacturing, has expanded its economic base to include strong growth in areas of telecommunications, banking and finance, and the service industry. A transportation hub since the 1800s, the area enjoys a national and regional prominence as a distribution and manufacturing center. Kansas City ranks nationally as first in greeting-card publishing (Hallmark Cards is located there), frozen food storage and distribution, and hard winter-wheat marketing; second in wheat flour production; and third in auto and truck assembly. The area is one of ten federal regional centers, and the federal, state, and local governments are among the top employers. The city is also a regional center for health care.
See also Encyclopedia: Kansas City.
Selected famous natives and residents:
- Robert Altman director;
- Edward Asner actor;
- Burt Bacharach composer;
- Noah and Wallace Beery actors;
- Robert Russell Bennett composer;
- Jeanne Eagels actress;
- Jean Harlow actress;
- Ted Shawn dancer and choreographer;
- Casey Stengel baseball player;
- Virgil Thompson composer;
- Tom Watson golfer.
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